Local Sports

Brawlers to play exhibition Saturday By Joe Palladino Republican-American

WATERBURY — The Brass City Brawlers, Waterbury's semi-pro football team, will play a final exhibition game Saturday night at Municipal Stadium's Snyder Field against the Hartford Whalers.

Kick off is 6 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults. Children 16-under are free.

The Brawlers, now in their second year, open the regular season in the New England Football League on July 19 at home against the Greyhounds at Crosby High.

Brawlers coach Richard Bachand made an urgent plea to area football fans. The privately funded team needs support.

"We are giving it one more chance," Bachand said. "We need to make enough money to continue the season."

Bachand said the Brawlers program is about more than football. It provides athletic opportunity and civic guidance to young men who have had disciplinary issues in their life.

"We want to help kids who may have made a mistake or two in their lives," Bachand said. "For many of these guys, this team is a second chance."

According to Bachand, more than two dozen young men on the roster are either "on probation or on parole, and since March of 2013 not one of my kids has gotten into trouble. This team is a second chance for a lot of good athletes."

The cost of running the team is approximately $50,000, Bachand said. To survive past the exhibition schedule, he said the team needs community support.

Bachand said he needs fans to come out Saturday night and take a look at what the Brawlers have to offer.

"We would love for fans to see what kind of football we play," he said. "We are a nonprofit group. To sponsor one player, it costs $400, or fans can donate to the entire team. Also, we would love to volunteer in the community. If your group or company needs help, or if your business has jobs, we have good people for you. If you need volunteers for an event, we are here for you. When we are not playing, we are willing to help. We don't want to take. We want to give."

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